Magnesium is one of the body's electrolytes Overview of Electrolytes More than half of a person's body weight is water. Doctors think about water in the body as being restricted to various spaces, called fluid compartments. The three main compartments are Fluid... read more , which are minerals Overview of Minerals Minerals are necessary for the normal functioning of the body’s cells. The body needs relatively large quantities of Calcium Chloride Magnesium read more that carry an electric charge when dissolved in body fluids such as blood, but the majority of magnesium in the body is uncharged and bound to proteins or stored in bone. (See also Overview of Electrolytes Overview of Electrolytes More than half of a person's body weight is water. Doctors think about water in the body as being restricted to various spaces, called fluid compartments. The three main compartments are Fluid... read more .)
Bone contains about half of the body’s magnesium. Blood contains very little. Magnesium is necessary for the formation of bones and teeth and for normal nerve and muscle function. Many enzymes in the body depend on magnesium to function normally. Magnesium is also related to the metabolism of calcium Overview of Calcium's Role in the Body Calcium is one of the body's electrolytes, which are minerals that carry an electric charge when dissolved in body fluids such as blood, but most of the body's calcium is uncharged. (See also... read more and the metabolism of potassium Overview of Potassium's Role in the Body Potassium is one of the body's electrolytes, which are minerals that carry an electric charge when dissolved in body fluids such as blood. (See also Overview of Electrolytes.) Most of the body’s... read more . To maintain a normal level of magnesium in the blood, adults need to consume 310 to 420 milligrams of magnesium a day.
The level of magnesium in the blood depends largely on how the body obtains magnesium from foods and excretes it in urine and stool and less so on the total body stores of magnesium. The level of magnesium in the blood can become
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National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements: Magnesium Fact Sheet for Consumers: provides a general overview of magnesium, including its role in the body and daily nutrition requirements
